Peregrine
Peregrine is a fictional character from the Wild Cards series of books. She is a world famous ace, having her own talk show ("Peregrine's Perch"), cosmetic line, designer clothing label, etc. She has also been a Playboy centerfold. History Amare Sweet's card turned at the onset of puberty. Discovering that she was developing a joker mutation in the form of angelic wings, she determined not to let them be an obstacle and actually used her wings' beautiful appearance to shape her public image into that of an ace. Prior to coming to New York, she was known as the Flying Cheerleader and got lost during her first visit to the big city. Taking on the name Peregrine she became a model and actress before moving on to host her own live television show. During these years, her fame was also spread by occasional acts of heroism, joining other aces to help subdue the Great Ape, fight the Swarm, and participate in the battle against the Egyptian Freemasons. In 1986 Peregrine had a one night stand with the ace Fortunato, following the Astronomer's attack on Aces High. Though on birth control, Fortunato's sex-based powers circumvented such precautions and she became pregnant. Peregrine discovered her pregnancy during the 1987 WHO Tour, in which she participated as one of the more famous delegates. The discovery came after she attempted to fly during a gun battle in Egypt that erupted in her near vicinity, but found that she could not get airborne. A consultation with Dr. Tachyon gave her the diagnoses, and also the grim revelation that a child of wild carders was very likely to either die in childbirth or emerge a horribly deformed joker. Before leaving Egypt she visited an Egyptian ace with the power to "bless" pregnant women, and came away hoping that her child might somehow defy the odds. Shortly thereafter Peregrine had a brief falling out with Tachyon over his accidentally leaking the information that her child's father was an ace which resulted in a sensationalistic article in Aces!. Later on the tour, Peregrine and Fortunato were briefly reunited in Japan when she sought him out to request aid in finding Hiram Worchester, who had run afoul of a local yakuza clan. Predictably, Fortunato and the very pregnant Peregrine also wound up in bed together again. Peregrine gave birth amidst a hostage crisis at the Jokertown Clinic to a healthy son whom she named John Fortune. With motherhood, Peregrine mostly retired from the adventuresome life. She married her longtime boyfriend, photographer Josh McCoy, and was content to host her show. In the mid to late 90s she hosted a special live broadcast to provide a forum for arson investigator Hannah Davis and former senator Gregg Hartmann to expose the existence of the Card Sharks conspiracy. Intensely protective of John, Peregrine employed various ace bodyguards, most notably Popinjay and Mr. Nobody. The danger was that as a latent John's wild card could be triggered by danger or stress. In 2003 John Fortune "turned" his wild card and briefly became an ace. During this time Peregrine was shot by terrorists and hospitalized, unable to help her son escape the religious fanatics who wanted to control his newly emerged powers. Recovered from her injuries, Peregrine returned her work in the entertainment sector. This time she was one of the trio of judges for the wildly popular reality TV show American Hero. Cured of his uncontrollable powers, her son John was a production assistant on the show and an object of ridicule for the next generation of aces that were contestants. It is unknown what Peregrine thought when her son accidentally burned down her New York home while searching for a gift from the Living Gods. This gift was a scarab which granted him a portion of his lost powers and made him a hero of the Committee. Wild Card Traits Aside from her famous feathered wings the only other major alteration to Peregrine's form by the wild card are her hollow bones. It might be thought that hollow bones would make Peregrine especially fragile, but the opposite is true. Her bones are nearly as hard as steel and make her very light and very durable. Appearance Peregrine is a tall, beautiful woman, buxom and broad-shouldered, with brown hair and blue eyes. She has beautifully feathered brown and white wings. She looks like she might weigh perhaps 140 lbs., but because of her hollow bones, she would tip the scales at only 80. Her wings grant her the ability to fly, although her actual flight power is a form of telekinesis. Personality Peregrine is turned on by excitement and danger, often participating in dangerous situations and events, such as the raid on the Astronomer's lair and recapturing the Great Ape. She wears a set of titanium talons on each hand for such encounters. Trivia *Despite carrying a physical mutation, Peregrine is actually publicly regarded as an ace. *Peregrine is one of several female wild carders represented in the Famous Bowery Wild Card Dime Museum's Hall of Beauty. *Uses telekinesis to fly. Selected Reading *Wild Cards Volume IV: Aces Abroad *Wild Cards Volume XVIII: Inside Straight Category:WHO Tour delegates Category:POV characters